Macroeconomics: The Big Picture

Bulls rampaging on Wall Street. Fights over government spending and tax packages. Who says the economy is dull? It's a part of all our lives, and it's big news. For the confused, the Durell Institute of Shenandoah University offers a timely, informative video explaining how the American economic process works. Using clear graphics, a narrator explains those pesky business cycles, and the role of taxes, savings, investments and the national debt in making our economy shrink or grow (think of the economy as a tub renewed or depleted by faucets and drains.) Everyone has an opinion on the Federal Reserve Bank system, the watchdog of our nation's money supply, and the program details the important differences between monetary and fiscal policy, showing how the "Fed" tries to keep the economy growing slowly, while applying the brakes to inflation (sort of like fine tuning your car's engine.) Using current examples and remaining free of ideological bias, the video clearly and concisely explains the big picture of the American economy--or at least as clearly as such things can be explained. A good purchase for accelerated high school classes, college students, and public libraries. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)